Elections are about who we want to govern us. Referendums, however, ask voters to decide public policy for themselves. This is the case for voting “no” on the $312 million St. Paul Schools tax levy ballot question.

Voters will decide if they can afford to raise their own property taxes by $9 million, which is a 30 percent increase over the expiring 2006 school levy of $30 million. An annual property-tax levy of $39 million, plus an increase for inflation, is being proposed in each of the next eight years, through 2020.

The proposed “excess operating levy” is a property tax that is in addition to the General Education levy set by the school board. The St. Paul school board has increased general education property taxes by 17 percent over the last three years.

All these tax increases come against harsh economic times for many St. Paulites. With 10,000-plus jobless residents, St. Paul has the highest unemployment rate, 7 percent, in the metro region. There are more than 950 vacant single-family homes registered with the City of St. Paul, and hundreds more duplexes and apartments. The estimated market value of the median-value single-family St. Paul home fell 10.4 percent, from $149,000 to $133,000 for taxes payable in 2013.

The Social Security cost of living adjustment for 2013 is only 1.7 percent for seniors and the disabled. For the average single Social Security recipient who is receiving an annual $15,000 benefit, the 1.7 percent raise is only $252.35. If that senior lives in a modest $149,000 home his or her property tax bill will include $238.54 in excess-levy property taxes, consuming most of the Social Security cost-of-living increase. And that’s before the homeowner pays for the proposed city and county tax hikes for 2013.

Unfortunately, the school board majority, following the recommendation of the superintendent, decided not to give voters the opportunity, as is customary in many school districts, to vote separately on a referendum question to renew the $30 million levy and a second question limited to whether the $9 million tax increase should be passed.

St. Paul voters should not allow themselves to be bullied into voting for a 30 percent tax increase on a take-it-or-leave-it basis. On Oct. 4, Superintendent Valeria Silva compounded the error of the single ballot question decision when she announced that she would eliminate 364 teaching positions if voters do not support the levy, and that she would also cut a variety of popular programs. The superintendent, however, declined to declare that she would cut even one administrative position. How cynical it is to be complicit in a scheme to seek to be rewarded with $9 million more from taxpayers by using intimidation and bullying tactics.

The School Board asserts that after $180 million in referendum spending over the last six years, much progress has been made by students. You be the judge. The 2012 MCA tests left a 40-point gap in reading proficiency between black and white students, a 45-point gap in math proficiency and 50 points in science. While 78 percent of Minnesota students were proficient in reading, only 58 percent of St. Paul Public School pupils were proficient. Math proficiency was at 60 percent statewide and in St. Paul only at 40 percent, and in science the statewide rate was 50 percent proficient and only 22 percent in St. Paul.

If more money were the answer to improved educational outcomes, isn’t it about time the district spent the majority of its $490.6 million general fund budget on direct allocations to schools? In 2012-13, $237.1 million of the general fund budget was directly allocated to schools. The majority of the funds, $253.5 million or 52 percent, were spent on school service support, districtwide support and central administration.

The school board wants to collect $822 per pupil with this proposed levy, but it is promising to allocate only $136 each to St. Paul charter school students, who are also public school students, who deserve equitable funding, but are not going to get it under this plan.

This school board claims they will spend $9 million new dollars on “technology,” but do not offer a specific plan as to what these funds will buy that the current general fund budget of $6.66 million is already not providing The ballot question states that levy funds: “will be used to fund classroom instruction”, there is no mention of “technology.”

Given this school board’s dismal record on setting spending priorities, they do not deserve our trust as stewards of public funds. It was this board that voted to pay Superintendent Silva $40,000 to move from her Woodbury home to St. Paul. It was this board that approved using hundreds of thousands of tax dollars to buy new furniture for the central administration offices at 360 Colborne.

When the school board started its 2012-13 budget process they pledged to “Live within our means.” Asking for a 30 percent property tax Increase over the existing levy serves to violate that promise. Real educational reform is required for St. Paul Public Schools, not more money.

I agree with Pioneer Press columnist Joe Soucheray: The schools won’t stop asking for more until we say “enough.” Giving this school board eight more years of taxing authority for both a renewal levy and a 30 percent property tax increase is not good public policy. We have our opportunity with this referendum to send a message of no confidence by voting no.

Greg Copeland of St. Paul is chair of the “St. Paul Votes’ NO 30% Levy Tax Hike!” committee. His email address is gcopeland911@aol.com.

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